FED: Brown backs trimmed migrant intake but more refugees

AAP General News (Australia)
04-08-2010
FED: Brown backs trimmed migrant intake but more refugees

PERTH, April 8 AAP - Australia should trim its overall migrant intake, but accept more
genuine refugees and boost skills training for young Australians, Greens leader Bob Brown
says.

The Tasmanian senator says most Australians don't want a population as big as 36 million
by 2050, as indicated by a Lowy Institute poll released on Thursday.

He said this showed Australians were wary of the "Big Australia" backed by Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd.

The Greens were for winding back overall immigration but increasing the humanitarian
intake including asylum seekers, Senator Brown told reporters in Perth on Thursday.

"Let's review the business immigration, which means if you have a quarter of a million
dollars in your pocket you can buy your way into this country.

"Let's concentrate a little more on the 50,000 people who have flown into this country
rather than on the four or five thousand people who are really in desperate circumstances,
genuine refugees coming by boat, Senator Brown said.

He said "wealth immigration" should be cut back and Australia should stop importing
skilled workers from poor countries.

Australia should instead be doing more to train and skill young Australians who were
being let down by big corporations and governments, Senator Brown said.

"The big corporations have been found out, they are not pulling their weight. We need
to have big investment in education and skilling in Australia."

AAP ldj/goc/

KEYWORD: POPULATION BROWN

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